Car brake pad wear sensor rear and front

How to detect the brake pad wear sensor failure

First, you need to check if the electrical connections are reliable and the wires are intact. If no breaks are found, take the sensor out of its mounting seat and check it. Severe fouling, corrosion, cracks or other damage, as a rule, are the signs that you have to replace the part. If during the examination you have not detected any visible faults, check if there is voltage in the sensor circuit.

You may identify that the brake pad wear sensor has to be checked by the following symptoms:

• actuation of the sensor with faultless brake pads;
• no signal with worn out brake pads;
• it is impossible to turn off the error signal.

Causes of the brake pad wear sensor failure

It is recommended to replace the components at every installation of new brake pads. Otherwise, the risk increases that the components will operate incorrectly.

Adverse environmental impact is among the most common reasons why the parts fail: moisture, dirt and thawing chemicals destroy the part housing, causing its contacts oxidation.

Due to their location, the brake pad wear sensors are also highly exposed to mechanical damage. In particular, the component wire may break or its outer sheath may be damaged due to hitting by stones, other foreign objects or running over an obstacle.

Too aggressive car operating conditions can also reduce the sensor life. Frequent driving on dusty roads results in premature part contamination, and the increased vibration that occurs during off-road driving provoke loosening of connectors and short circuits.

Fasteners are the most vulnerable components of mechanical sensors. If they are damaged, the sensors can detach from the plate on which they are mounted, and get lost.

Replacement of the brake pad wear sensor

You can install new brake pad wear sensors on your own. For this, adhere to the following instructions:

1. Loosen the wheel bolts.
2. Lift the car at the side of the to-be-replaced part with a jack and secure its position using wheel chocks.
3. Dismantle the wheel after unscrewing the fasteners completely.
4. Carefully remove the defective part from its mounting seat.
5. Take out the sensor wire after releasing the clips.
6. Unfasten the mudguard fasteners and move it aside.
7. Unplug the wire from the connector and dismantle the broken part.
8. Install a new one in its place.
9. Complete the reassembling by carrying out the steps in reverse order.